EXPLAINER: What Can Exchanges Do? – Emmanuel Adebayo

By Emmanuel Adebayo

Crypto exchanges constantly face threats from hackers and other malicious actors seeking to steal user funds. Exchange platforms implement various security measures to safeguard the funds that customers entrust to them. One good practice is to utilise cold storage, keeping user funds offline in hardware wallets.

Careful consideration of the risks and benefits is needed to maintain the proper levels of liquidity for exchange operations to continue smoothly while minimising any potential, even if unlikely, risks to user funds.

Multi-factor authentication and password policies are among other common security features used to prevent unauthorised access to user accounts.

Many exchanges also have a cap on withdrawal amounts, with additional checks required to go beyond the limit. User education is also key to avoiding falling victim to scammers.

Furthermore, some exchanges have proactively established insurance funds to provide additional protection to their users. One prominent example is Binance’s Secure Asset Fund for Users (SAFU), funded by a portion of trading fees, which covers losses incurred by users as a result of extreme situations such as hacks. Some other exchanges have also established similar funds or insurance policies to provide an additional layer of protection for their customers.